Officer identified in Daunte Wright killing as 26-year police veteran

The officer who fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on Sunday has been identified as Kim Potter, a 26-year police veteran.

The announcement came Monday evening as demonstrators again gathered outside the police station in the Minneapolis suburb, The New York Times reports.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon stated during a press briefing earlier Monday that the officer, who had not yet been identified, had been placed on administrative leave. He also stated that he believed she intended to use her Taser on Wright, but instead shot him. Gannon said it looked as though the shot was an “accidental discharge.”

Potter’s body camera footage of the incident was released on Monday during the press briefing. In the footage, she can be seen assisting another officer as they attempt to arrest Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, for an outstanding warrant. When Wright jumps back into his car, Potter appears to shout “Tase him” before pointing her gun at him.

After Wright drives away, Potter is heard saying, “I just shot him.”

Protesters late Monday occasionally threw water bottles and rocks over a newly erected fence around the Brooklyn Center police station. Officers responded by shooting projectiles into the crowd and at one point releasing a chemical agent that caused people to starting coughing.

The Times notes that President Biden has said he is praying for Wright’s family, while also speaking out against looting and violence. 

“We do know that the anger, pain and trauma amidst the Black community is real,” Biden said. “In the meantime, I want to make it clear again: There is absolutely no justification — none — for looting. No justification for violence. Peaceful protest? Understandable.”

A medical examiner ruled on Monday that Wright’s death was a homicide, stating that he “died of a gunshot wound of the chest and manner of death is homicide.”

The Brooklyn Center city manager, Curt Boganey, was fired on Monday, Mayor Mike Elliott announced. This announcement came shortly after Elliott said a motion had been passed by the city council that gave his office command over the police department.

Just 10 miles away, the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, entered its third week on Monday. The defense is expected to begin its case on Tuesday.